[nagdu] Biological Family Support for Service Animals

Jenny Keller jlperdue3 at gmail.com
Fri Jun 22 23:18:04 UTC 2012


I hope I can get down to see Diana before she is no longer able to recognize me.  

I hope to get my new guide soon so that she can see him or her and know that I am safe, though she doesn't really know about Brooks I don't think.

Jenny
On Jun 20, 2012, at 2:35 PM, Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC) wrote:

> My grandma had dimentia. She got to a point where she'd only recogonize you if she saw you with your dog.
> I remember being out with her to get ice cream and I was waiting in line. My guide dog was on the floor and I remmeber my grandma running into me and I could tell she had absolutely no clue who I was. Then she saw my dog and was like "Beck! How did you get here!"
> 
> She was so happy to see me. I'd walked into the ice cream place with her less then five minutes before.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Lyn Gwizdak
> Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 3:29 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Biological Family Support for Service Animals
> 
> Hi Jenny,
> What a great support you had in your Mom.
> 
> My Dad has Alzheimers - the fairly early stages.  My Mom is taking care of
> him along with the help of my brother and his wife who live five minutes
> away by car.  He will be 88 in a couple of weeks.  My sister and I come to
> visit as much as we can for family get togethers when somebody comes down
> here to get us.  We'll be going to their place when our other sister, her
> two daughters, and their kids come for a visit.
> 
> Hopefully, your mother will recognise you when you walk into her home with
> your new guide!
> 
> Lyn and Landon
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jenny Keller" <jlperdue3 at gmail.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, June 16, 2012 11:40 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Biological Family Support for Service Animals
> 
> 
>> Hi all,
>> 
>> When I started losing my sight, I kicked around the idea of getting a dog
>> for a long time.
>> 
>> My Step Mom, who is a dog freak to begin with was supportive when no one
>> else was.
>> 
>> finally, after backing out of the dog idea a few times, and she had taken
>> me to a doctor's appointment one day, she said to me "I know you've talked
>> about getting a guide and backed out, why?"  I couldn't really answer her
>> questions well, I just told her that it was because of all the things I
>> would have to handle with getting a guide.
>> 
>> she asked me what those things were and I told her, things like the hair
>> in the house, grooming, cost, etc.
>> 
>> She then said, "OK, I've heard your excuses, now give me legitimate
>> reasons."
>> 
>> I couldn't give her any other than the ones I gave her, so she told me
>> that I knew I would get help with all that and that those were excuses at
>> best.
>> 
>> I said I agreed with her, and that she was right.  She then asked me, or
>> rather said to me, so when are you going to fill out an online
>> application, when you get in the house right?"
>> 
>> that was just the kick in the pants I needed.
>> 
>> though I have gone through hell with guide dogs, and never could fully
>> trust Brooks, I don't regret it and I can still hear those words over four
>> years later, as she can barely speak now due to the ravages of alseimer's.
>> 
>> those are one of the many conversations I can clearly remember, and will
>> always remember, as she slips away from us because of that horrible
>> disease.
>> 
>> Most of us don't have that support, and my father was not supportive at
>> all, but I thank GOD for Diana, one of the few people in my life that
>> supported me through just about anything.  without her, I would still
>> never have had the opportunity of working a dog, no matter how bad the
>> trust issue was.
>> 
>> At least I know now, that some day, I hope, I will be able to fully trust
>> a dog.
>> 
>> Jenny
>> p
>> On Jun 14, 2012, at 5:17 PM, Julie J. wrote:
>> 
>>> Greg,
>>> 
>>> I'm still catching up since being out of town.  Sorry if you've already
>>> gotten more info than you know what to do with! *smile*  Here's my
>>> contribution.
>>> 
>>> It honestly didn't occur to me to discuss my using a guide dog or doing
>>> the training myself with anyone in my family, excepting the people I live
>>> with.  When I started using a cane many years ago this is the same
>>> approach I took then.  I simply incorporated the cane and then the dog
>>> into life as it seemed relevant, logical or natural.  I never made a big
>>> deal out of it.  To this day I honestly have no idea what some of my
>>> family members think of my blindness or my dogs.  It doesn't keep me up
>>> at night wondering.  I feel like it's my decision and really doesn't
>>> concern them.  That's just me though and how I usually do things.  I
>>> don't ask their advice on purchasing a home, getting married, or where to
>>> go on vacation.   It's not that I don't care what they think, it's more
>>> that I'm just comfortable making those decisions on my own and don't feel
>>> that their input would be helpful.  I'm not explaining well, but I hope
>>> it's a bit understandable.
>>> 
>>> All the best in getting it all sorted out,
>>> Julie
>>> 
>>> 
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>> 
>> 
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> 
> 
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